Thanks for reviewing this, Cody! A day in the Marine Corps is like a day on the farm. Every meal’s a banquet! Every paycheck a fortune! Every formation a parade! I love the corps!
Not the best review considering that is missing all the part related to the atmosphere and how the game is able to replicate the movie and the result is really good. I suppose you are not a big fan of the movie or you even didn't watch it. Second, more important, we are talking about 50$ games and for the price is a good deal and there are 2 expansion that are kind of must have to improve the experience... why you didn't mention it? About the assembly part the only "issue" that I can see is that the company didn't write it on the box the other complain are useless. For example the tail of the Aliens is a bit of pain, confirmed, but you just need to stick it with a bit of pression for 30 second and then place the xenomorph in a good position so the weight is doing the rest... 2-3 minutes and you are ready to go. You have a second channel of 2 world war and there are a tons of model that are really cool if you like the topic, that can be a good start to like assembly. The piece are usually big and the quality is astonishing... and there are also model that you don't need glue... Cheers
With regard to the expansion, I haven't played those. Therefore, I only reviewed the core game. I have heard the expansions really enliven the experience. I actually love the movie. One of my favorites. The game does a good job with its theme, and perhaps I should have mentioned that, but for me it didn't make up for some of the other issues. With regard to building minis - just not my thing. I appreciate the WWII tip though. Thanks.
@@TheDiscriminatingGamer The first two movies are master piece then something went a bit wrong... still good IP but not cool like the first two. About the expansion I also don't have it, the game is good but I don't know if deserve to invest more money there are a lot of game that are releasing in this period like a lot of Worker-placement board game... I was not a big fan but I start to like it.
I am a huge fan of the Alien(s) franchise. I pre-ordered this game last year with all expansions and bonuses. It came. I played. I am disappointed. Everything LOOKS great, but when I start playing it was a hit in a wall. The actions are a sluggish chore. A single shot requires so much labor - draw, roll, adjust aim dial, remove token/minies, flip this, move that, etc. and then you need to keep firing with auto-fire and do the whole enchilada again and again for every shot, for every character, for every turn, for every attack, for every defense. And that is only the shooting. The rules are a complete disaster - never seen so many questions (on BGG forums) asking to explain the rules - fans made massive F.A.Q. in attempt to clarify the whole mess. The balance is all over the place (being boringly easy at one moment and exploding in insane difficulty in the next moment). I'll try to finish all missions, but it will be hard to force myself. In my last game (Bug Hunt mission in the Processing Plant) on Motion Tracker Cards I drew Turned Off The Lights (Exhaust 8 or discard Lamp/Flare) and then immediately I drew Relentless Horde (Exhaust 6) but I had only 5 available left, so I lost the game (for the record I try to rest [recover endurance cards] a lot and often). I was happy. I'm never happy of losing. I hate losing. But this time I was really happy the mission ended, because at this point I was exhausted by the gameplay mechanics and I was relieved. First time for me to cheer a loss - the game is indeed very unique in that sense.
I didn't have nearly the negative experience that you had. I actually enjoyed a lot of the card management and how that interacted with actions. As you state, the rules could have been simplified. There was some ambiguity and I did refer to BGG often during the first game.
I agree with you on almost all these critiques. I made house rules that reduced like 80% of these complaints in my opinion. I understand the frustration though, it takes time to come up with alternatives.
I totally get you on the mini's. Mini construction on this game was horrific. I had to spread it out over 2-3 months (one alien tail every now and then) so that I didn't go bonkers.
I’m with you on the minis. Just don’t like assembling them. I expect that saved me heaps on Star Wars Legion. Intrigued by the game but hard pass for gluing minis unfortunately.
I canceled my order just in time, hate to assemble stuff. But afterwards I remembered that I have the original lead miniatures that were an add on in the nineties, to the original aliens game, so I could just use those.
The game looks fun, and board games are something I usually play with alcohol, and either a friend or on my own. So I'll probably get it, as I love the movies, and the single player capability is fun. Plus its not that expensive. Good review.
I hate assembling minis too ✋🤨 and, from what I hear, EVERYONE has had problems getting the Alien tails to stick, so don’t blame yourself on that one... That said, I’ve watched several scenarios of this game being played and - as a huge fan of the ALIEN Movie franchise - I think they’ve done a decent job in getting the rules and scenarios well balanced so as to be winnable, but always at the risk of losing personnel or getting overwhelmed by sheer numbers, if one doesn’t make best use of dwindling resources, employ optimal tactics, or one simply rolls too poorly! Your Face Hugger Covid Mask idea would be hilarious, and I’d certainly wear one... 😂👍. Came across a RU-vid video of a guy whose face mask was printed with a photo realistic image of a nose and a Covid mask worn UNDER that nose, so that - except for right up close (and no one was willing to approach him, because of that!) - he looked like he wasn’t wearing a mask properly... which prompted a steady succession of people to ask (or demand) that he wear his mask properly, of course... ☝️😠 Anything to make light of this never ending, dystopian nightmare, that is both tragic and farcical in equal measure... 🤦🏻♂️ Thanks for a balanced and well reasoned review. Your observations are always cogent, well argued, and provide useful insights for would-be purchasers, that help them make informed decisions on whether or not to purchase the games that you review. I’ll definitely be buying this one, because of the “ALIENS” theme, and have already solved the mini assembly issue by purchasing very well painted examples of the core game’s Marines, Ripley and Newt, plus “Burke” and the remaining Marines found in the “Bad Asses” expansion - albeit at ruinous expense! 😥 I’m not bothering with the game’s Aliens, as they are more generic and I already have plenty of excellently painted examples from the sadly discontinued “Prodos” “Alien vs Predator” Board game franchise. 👍 If I do have any criticisms of “Another Glorious Day...” it’s that the cards in the game are very thin and flimsy, and the Board Tiles themselves are similarly insubstantial and also, in terms of the artwork, somewhat confusingly and EXTREMELY UNIMAGINATIVELY rendered, which ruins a great deal of the “Horror immersion” that the movie itself provided, with its claustrophobic corridors, menacingly dangerous ventilation conduits and so forth. They’ve really missed an opportunity there, to capitalise on everything that such a memorable, well fleshed out and iconic Cinema franchise had to offer..... 🤷🏻♂️
Playing through the campaign makes endurance deck management 10x more tense, plus you end up getting more attached to the characters as they pull off heroic moments. I got the complete experience and with the expansions it might be one of my favorite games, but without them I probably wouldn't recommend it. It does add that variety with the APC chase, the power loader and the queen. You can't have an Aliens experience without everything culminating in a power loader battle with the Queen. I've said this elsewhere but its like making a New Hope game and removing any reference to the Death Star.
I've heard a reviewer complaining about the disconnect from the theme because the Xeno's are very stupid in this game. What would you say about this? Also, glad to see you can game without a mask now =)
We wear masks when we game in stores that require it. The Xenos are controlled by the game's AI, so I don't know how you could really make it work so that the Xenos would be "smarter." I didn't have much of a problem with that aspect of the game.
If you are still struggling with the tails, I would recommend brush on super glue. Zap makes a little .25 oz bottle that will do the trick. I used Deluxe's Plastic Magic. I held the tails in place for about 10 seconds to give the plastic a chance to melt and set. After that, the tails stuck, and I was able to put aside and dry.
I have no real attachments to the Alien franchise as I haven't seen any of the movies. But I remember seeing a lot of people talking about this game because it was taking forever to come out. I'm sorry to hear that it was only just okay.
I think it's definitely worth playing if you get a chance. I think a lot of my hesitation is my general lukewarm of opinion of dungeon crawlers - and assembling the minis.
I understand people's point about having to assemble the minis, especially the tails of the aliens. As an aspiring colonial marine, I am here to tell ya there is something very cathartic about packing superglue up an alien's backside...
A big part of this game the integration of its theme. If you're not a fan of the movies, I don't know how much you will connect with it. However, it does do a great job with its theme, and fans of the films will get a kick out of it.
I am excited about this game, love the movie and the whole Alien universe. The game looks a lot like SPACE HULK which I love! Is it as good as or better than or is it fun to play - it does seem to be trying to reflect the feel and events in ALIENS - but I can't tell from this review if it is worth buying. It is co-operative which means this game might get to the table more often than my beloved SPACE HULK - its not much fun for your opponent if they are not keen on the continuous direct conflict. I have a few issues about this review. The reviewer isn't a fan of dungeon crawlers, he's not a fan of minis, he's not a fan of campaigns! He is never gonna love this game. I might love the game but I need someone more similar to my tastes to review it. Of course if a game wants more mainstream attention then pre-assembled and painted minis are obviously the way to go.
I’m not a mini expert but I’ve put together quit a few from Star Wars Legion and Crisis Protocol and the Aliens in this game were by far the worst I’ve put together.
@@TheDiscriminatingGamer I must say the quality actually is great and the pieces fit together perfectly - with superglue and a little bit of patience (as information, not judging anyone). I believe the designer really wanted this game to be the absolutely most perfect thematically Alien 2-game as possible, therefore they did the hard decision to produce the most realistic figures as possible for the buck. So comparing to the time-consuming learning curve in many games, the glueing-step is a rather small hill to climb in this one, if one has the urge to cooperate through the corridors as the soldiers in the best Alien-movie ever ;)
@@cobracommander4516 No doubt it's high quality, but there are many gamers out there that don't have the patience (myself included). It's a beautiful game, but speaking for myself, I'd rather have it be a little less beautiful if it meant that I didn't have to assemble the minis. At a minimum, GF9 should have put a notice on the box that mini assembly was required.
The base game continues to get middle of the road reviews and they’re appropriate. I hated having to build the minis but muddled through. The extra flavor was put in the small box expansion - ultimate bad asses and they should have released it as part of the main box. Additional main chars + mini experience cards. The exp cards gives skills to the characters with skill paths that add a variation to the game. It’s a lot parts to manage solo. It feels somewhat bland without having the other 2 expansions. This game also feels like it plays better with a group vs solo. I’ve yet to see a good vid with a lively group playing this which can make the difference in just about any game. They’re probably still busy assembling the minis....
I love the Aliens franchise and really wanted to love this but I keep getting warded off from buying it. I don’t mind assembling minis but they only look so-so versus the Prodos ones of AVP. And then the fact that so much of the initial product is broken across two more expansions that came out at the same time just seems like a cash grab (what other reason is there not to put the iconic loader in the base game?). At this point, I’m leaning towards Nemesis to scratch my Aliens board game itch (despite it having its own headaches for me with being a Kickstarter).
Shitty artwork #101. Those cards look like one of those cash grab card games of a third class TV show that were popular in the 90s, HORRIBLE. Also, as a German, I feel uncomfortable seeing people sitting together, having fun! Das geht doch nicht!
@@TheDiscriminatingGamer Hard unedited screencaps are all ready a hard visual pill to swallow. But combined with the iconography and general artwork it just looks cheap, like a buffy the vampire hunter collectible card game. I'm not totally opposed to screencaps, Terraforming Mars does it well, but you have to edit them and adjust them to the general style of your game. I bet you said that last sentence to countless people didn't you?!?! ;)
@@TheDiscriminatingGamer I sent an email to customers service. Oh well, else I will get some other dice instead. Today I just finished getting all the figures out of the mold. I'll hopefully glue them all this week :)
I really enjoy your reviews (including this one) but I really wish reviewers would stop wasting so much time explaining how much they hate to assemble miniatures. As a miniature gamer I personally find the assembly as enjoyable as the game but I know not everybody does. In fact, EVERYBODY already knows that not everybody does. So just mention it right up front. If someone hates assembly enough that it’s a deal breaker for them, they’re gonna make up there mind right there. Job done. I watch review videos to hear a review of the gameplay not to listen to several minutes of how much you personally hate assembling miniatures yet many, many reviewers continue to rant about it. We get it.. you hate assembly. Acknowledge it and get to the review already.
I don't think you understand. Myself and other reviewers, REALLY don't like putting together minis. Nor do our forefathers. To not rant about it would be the greatest betrayal to our heritage. We board game reviewers believe in tradition, and honoring those who have gone before us.
@@TheDiscriminatingGamer some gamers really hate dice but you don’t make a five minute public statement every time you review a game that uses them as a mechanic. Do you see the double standards here? Quickly mention at the start that the miniatures need assembly and be done with it.
@@Carfilliot Nope. Apples and Oranges. Mechanic that some people like or dislike during a game vs an incredible amount of time and effort just to play the game.
While I do like painting and assembling minis/models. I am with you in this one. Hell, with companies that produce awesome minis like Monolith's Conan, or damn near anything from CMO I don't know why TDG: Aliens went this route......
How many times did you say, "Game over man... game over" when playing the game? I really want this game but didn't pull the trigger because I have so many games that are similar. Also, I hate putting together mini's.
